Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s Gitanjali has been translated into Telugu by many poets. The one by Rallabandi Kavitha Prasad is romantic poetry at its best — with a visual flow that got reflected in a dance (Kuchipudi) presentation. Following the Kuchipudi tradition to a certain extent, choreographer/nattuvanaar and guru Usha Gayatri Maddali, made use of group sutradhars for narration and a solo dancer to communicate the philosophy of Tagore’s verses. The Telugu version of the verses was lucid, lyrical and lofty all at once. Vempati Srivalli Sarma’s vocals enriched the bhava of these verses with the stresses rightly laid out. The artistic handling of a profound philosophy was indeed laudable as it stuck to the original in word and deed. The quest of the atma for its origin, that is the Paramatma or Brahman forms the crux of these verses. The poetic romanticism lies in personifying the atma or inner self as a woman and that too a dancer who is in search of her spotlessly pure beloved.

The group of six, an auspicious number in Hindu philosophy, dressed in symbolic white costume (not the traditional Kuchipudi one) with a hairdo to match, commenced the show with a salutation to our national flag through dance with minimal footwork. As such, the flow of the song was more through mime and gestures (natyabhinaya) than dance. But to the credit of the choreographer, she tried her best to ensure some elemental footwork at least in the form of jatis, to underline the structure of Kuchipudi.

The verses of in Telugu were undertaken in solo (by Abhirami) who was able to portray pangs of lost love, reminiscences of good times with her beloved and then the pursuit of her inner self for everlasting happiness with him. The linesNenoka chiru venuvunai… are all about nature and the joy it bestows on a yearning soul. The physical has to be interpreted in terms of the metaphysical which is manifested as rain, sunshine, blossoms, lively rivulets, unending ocean, etc. The digitalised screening of the moon and later the sun, gave the desired effect. Abhirami’s moves and expressions for paadamani koraga… were aesthetic. The crisp jati to swaram gave the apt impetus though it could have extended a little longer for an impact. The soliloquy (through recitation and not song) wherein she hears the un-manifested divinity questioning her search when He is within herself (in atma), was a piece of rich, meaningful poetry.

The muktaimpu was however rather flippant. The bonds that have shackled the dancer (the self) have to be torn asunder if the union with the Parabrahman is desired-this is the crux of Gitanjali as we saw it on stage. This freedom from the world leads to ultimate reality and that is the truth. The dancer was able to convey this to the audience with clarity despite some unwarranted preening around in the name of Kuchipudi which of late, seems to be the order of the day. The conclusion was a well-drawn thanksgiving to the universe after an understanding of the ultimate reality. The voice-overs (Baladitya and Usha Gayatri) for the vaachikabhinayam were an added attraction.

Venkatesh on the flute made his presence felt while Anil Kolanka on the violin, Sridharacharya on the mridangam, Srikanth on the tabla and Raju on the keyboard made for a creditable orchestra. The ballet was part of the three-day ‘Telugu Vennela’ poetry fest organised under the aegis of Kinnera Arts at Ravindra Bharathi.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> Arts> Dance / by Ranee Kumar / May 31st, 2012